>>> Management would say that the resources would be better used 
>>> elsewhere (and they are sometimes correct).
>>
>> Well, what should happen is that a project is either properly 
>> resourced, or put off until such time as it can be properly resourced.
> 
> What if postponing the project means a big loss in income/profit?

Then it should be properly resourced. ;-)

Cost/benefit analysis. If this project is really that important, you 
should be assigning resouces to it. If you can't do that, you can't have 
the results. You don't get something for nothing...

>> [Indeed, I've seen a definite recurring theme of "promise the customer 
>> absolutely anything to make them hand over their money, and worry 
>> about whether it defies the known laws of physics later". Ultimately 
>> it is again management's responsibility to make sure their salesmen 
>> don't do this...]
> 
> And then you won't win any projects at all, because your competitors 
> salesman are doing this (even if just a little bit).

Well, then the other companies get a reputation for failing to deliver a 
quality product, and you become known as the people who take slightly 
longer but deliver something worth the money. :-D

Obvious counter-example: Micro$oft. But then, they have a monopoly in 
almost all areas they trade in. Few others are so lucky.

>> For you, it's just some words on a page. For me, it's a daily reality.
> 
> Don't worry, I have more than my fair share of similar situations here.

Heh. Seriously, adding up currency without performing a conversion 
first? This stuff isn't exactly complicated. It's about the most basic 
stuff there is!

Tell me, have you ever seen projects where they think "yeah, we'll 
design and build the software, get it working, and then add security to 
it later"? Every time I see this, unless it's a really trivial 
application, I can practically *guarantee* that it won't work. Security 
needs to be designed in from day #1. It's usually extremely hard to add 
it later. I'd almost put *money* on that trick failing...

Obligatory QC reference:

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=926

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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